A Summer Morning, Chapter One

The solstice was tomorrow, and the twilight stretched on and on. Even if you stood and watched it closely, gauging the gradual loss of color from the sky, you never saw the final coming of night. The day just disappeared. Timothy had lived in upstate New York all his life and hated summer. As a […]

blue obsidian

originally published in Full House Literary Magazine     blue obsidian   things of beauty please the eye paperweights & polished blocks of lapis & malachite a small crystal vase with silk roses—pink my favorite, though i don’t care for fake flowers   this place isn’t for me   he puts a silver giraffe in […]

My Father Wanted Sons

MY FATHER WANTED SONS My feminism began with my father, who wanted sons. Had I been one he’d have named me Paul after my mother’s father, or Bruce, after no one he knew. He must have liked the sound alone, the angry strength of it, harking back to a long-lost Scots-Irish ancestor with an oblique […]

Call Yourself A Writer

originally published in Women Writers, Women’s Books   I recently took part in a virtual author event with two other women writers. Let me say how much I have come to appreciate the magic of Zoom video conferencing, aside from not having a paid account which meant getting dumped off the call after forty minutes. […]

a winter night – chapter one

Chapter One It’s all about family, Angie tells the Greens. An elderly dementia patient can experience significant anxiety on their bad days. Love and support go a long way. The staff at Lindell is wonderful, in fact, they were given an award by the National Alzheimer’s association just last year for their work in memory […]

Preview of WOMEN WITHIN, releasing in September, 2017

Women Within is a novel in three parts, each devoted to one main character. Part One presents Constance Maynard, currently an elderly resident at the Lindell Retirement home in Upstate New York. She is cared for by Eunice and Sam (short for Samantha). Part Two tells Eunice’s story; Part Three tells Sam’s. Here is a […]

Moving Out & Moving On

After thirty years of living in our charming, leaning, creaky-floored Victorian, we’re moving on. Seattle has become too crowded for us, too busy and loud. It’s a city for younger people who don’t mind hauling groceries down the block because their parking spot vanished while they were at the store. We fell in love with […]

Truth and Lies About Self-Publishing

  This article originally appeared on August 25, 2015 in Women Writers, Women’s Books.  Some say self-publishing is the greatest invention since sliced bread. Others say it’s ruining the industry. A lot of people have weighed in on this hugely popular phenomenon. Now, it’s my turn. I’ll address a few commonly held ideas and say […]

FANCE

    This story first appeared in Clark College’s 2003 Fiction and Poetry chapbook as their first place fiction winner, chosen by judge Gina Ochner   Fance thought she could get it done over in Odessa. A girl from the coffee shop went there for hers, and was back to work the next day.  She […]

Overcoming Writer’s Block

originally published August 3, 2015 in Prose We’ve all had it, that moment when nothing comes to mind. Our words stare back at us, asking to be fleshed out, continued, fulfilled, and we can do nothing to help them. Our protagonist has gotten herself stuck firmly this time, and is going nowhere fast. The most […]